Desktop Background Wallpaper - Change in Windows 7 Starter

How to Change Desktop Background Wallpaper in Windows 7 Starter and Home Basic Editions​

   Information

By default the Windows 7 Starter and Windows 7 Home Basic editions do not include the Personalization features such as change desktop background, Desktop Slideshow, Screen Saver, and Windows Color and Appearance.


This tutorial will show you how to add these features to the Windows 7 Starter and Windows 7 Home Basic editions.

• For free desktop background wallpapers from Microsoft, see: Desktop backgrounds (wallpaper) - Microsoft Windows
• By default, the Windows 7 Home Basic edition will only allow you to change the desktop background by right clicking on a image and clicking on Set as desktop background.
• If you plan on doing a in-place upgrade to another higher level edition of Windows 7 in the future, then be sure to uninstall this Oceanis Change Background W7 or Personalization Panel program first to avoid incompatibility issues with it in the new edition of Windows 7. It was designed to only work in the Windows 7 Starter and Home Basic editions.

OPTION ONE

Using the "Oceanis Change Background W7" Program

   Note

This will show you how to download and use the program Oceanis Change Background W7 provided by Oceanis so that you can change the desktop background with a optional desktop slideshow (shuffle) in the Windows 7 Starter and Home Basic editions.


If the Oceanis program is closed, then the desktop background goes with it. You will need to leave the Oceanis program running to keep the background.

• You must be using the Windows 7 Basic theme.
• If the Oceanis Change Background W7 program no longer works properly after installing some Windows Updates, then uninstall and reinstall the Oceanis Change Background W7 program to have it run properly again.
• If you get the black wallpaper in Windows 7 Starter, then:
  • Double check to make sure that the Remove background images (where available) box is unchecked in the Ease of Access Center.
  • Change the Color Scheme to Windows Classic and click on Apply, then change it to Windows Basic and click on OK.
  • If non of the above helped, then also see if this solution by Foe may be a possible fix.
• Run a sfc /scannow command, and restart the computer afterwards. You may have some corrupted system files causing the background wallpaper to not display.

1. Click on the Download button below to download the Oceanis Change Background W7 ZIP file provided by Oceanis, click on Save, and save it to your Desktop.

Download


2. Open the downloaded ZIP file, extract (drag and drop) the exe file below to your desktop, and run it.
NOTE: You will be prompted to restart the computer to finish installing this program.
Oceanis_Change_Background_W7.exe
3. When your computer restarts, you will see this as your desktop background. Click on the Oceanis Change Background W7 shortcut to change your desktop background. (see screenshot below)

4. Browse to the images that you want to use and check (select) a image, or more than one image to have a desktop slideshow. Select the Picture position for how you want the images displayed, and any desktop slideshow settings if you selected more than one image. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: These options are just like the default ones in the other editions of Windows 7 here that are now being allowed by this program by Oceanis for the Windows 7 Starter edition.



5. When done, click on Save changes. (see screenshots above)

OPTION TWO

Using the "Personalization Panel" Program

NOTE: This will show you how to download and use the Personalization Panel program to add Personalization to the desktop context menu to be able to change the desktop background, Windows Color and Appearance, Sounds, and Screen Saver in the Windows 7 Starter and Home Basic editions. This program does not add the desktop slideshow feature though.
1. Download and install the Personalization Panel program using Regular setup option at the Download link below.

Download


2. When finished installing, you can now right click on the desktop and click on Personalization.

3. If prompted by UAC, then click on Yes.

4. From here you can select and set the Appearance and Personalization options you like. (see screenshot below)

5. Desktop Background
A) In Windows Starter

B) In Windows Home Basic

6. Windows Color
A) In Windows Starter



B) In Windows Home Basic, you will see this below first then the screenshots above.

7. Sounds
A) This is the same Sounds settings as in the other editions of Windows 7.
8. Screen Saver
A) This is the same Screen Saver settings as in the other editions of Windows 7.
That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Change the Windows 7 Desktop Background
• How to Create a Desktop Slideshow in Windows 7
• How to Enable Aero in Unsupported Editions of Windows 7
• How to Remove Background Images to have Only Solid Colors in Windows 7
• How to Change the Window Color and Appearance in Windows 7
• How to Change the Screen Saver in Windows 7
• How to Change or Save a Windows 7 Theme
• How to Create a Windows 7 Personalization Shortcut

 

[mvtews]

I tried the install 5 times, no 'Personalization'

Sir,

I tried the download version "
OPTION TWO
Using the "Personalization Panel" Program
5 times and I have cold booted; I do not get any 'Personalization' selection when I right click on the desktop. I even went to 'Control Panel' and looked there, but no changes there.
BTW The link you gave does have a newer version there called 'Personalization Panel 2.5'.

any help you can provide will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you, mvtews Texas

 

[Brink]

Hello mvtews, and welcome to Seven Forums.

When you installed "Personalization Panel", it sounds like you may have used the portable mode option when installing instead of the Regular setup option. Try reinstalling using the Regular setup option to see if that helps.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[mvtews]

Shawn,

Thank you for your time; I am trying your directions today and will let all know how it goes.

mvtews Texas

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Hiyya Shawn I have downloaded that second option and I am getting something called WINAERO. Have downloaded it but nothing happens when I go to the desktop - oh it's next door's young fellows machine with the Starter 7 and I have cleaned up a fair bit whoever set this up for him didn't do a very good job - not that I am any expert but it is pretty ordinary,.

Just don't know where to go from here.

John

 

[Brink]

Hello John,

Yep, that would be correct. WinAero is the site to download the Personalization Panel program from. You'll want to click on the gray download button at the bottom of the description of the program before the posted comments at that site. That's all.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Hello John,

Yep, that would be correct. WinAero is the site to download the Personalization Panel program from. You'll want to click on the gray download button at the bottom of the description of the program before the posted comments at that site. That's all.

Ok Shawn have done that about four times now and it eventually went to a window that didn't seem to do anything until I noticed the flashing OK button on the taskbar instead of the pop up account user one - so hard to miss and the sound on this little device is so quiet and I am pretty deaf LOL!! that I missed the warning dum dum!

Anyway all is well and the young bloke now has penguins on his machine - thanks yet again! He is going to be over the moon when he gets back from school!

I just don't know how you keep up with all this unless you work from home and have ten kids all working for you LOL!!

Now back to the endless updates - gee this machine has never been updated and being so slow - a major job.

 

[Brink]

You're always welcome John. Anytime.

LOL, it is always funny when a system messes up like that to find out that it has never been updated or had any maintenance done to it.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

You're always welcome John. Anytime.

LOL, it is always funny when a system messes up like that to find out that it has never been updated or had any maintenance done to it.

Yeah Shawn was up to 1am this morning updating - even SP1 and boy if you thought Vista was slow then you should ry one of these little Atom 1GB based machines LOL!!
Anyway I have been given some old M51 ThinkCentres and I am going to do up one for the young bloke as that err machine he has is good for starters (no pun) and it doesn't have an optical drive and thats a stumbling block eh?

Just as a by the by I am no expert but whoever set this little machine up I reckon didn't know much about what they were doing.

Anyway he's like the dog with two tails - which one to wag first LOL!!

 

[springmum]

It worked!! Thank you thank you thank you!!!

I have been wanting to change my desktop background on my laptop for a year and a half but didn't want to spend the money on upgrading my Windows 7 since that is the ONLY thing I wanted. So glad I found this thread; I downloaded the "Personalization Panel" and got exactly what I wanted. You are awesome!!:grouphug:

 

[Brink]

That's great news springmum, and welcome to Seven Forums. I'm glad that it was able to help.

 

[trumpetrousers]

AVG found virus

Re Oceanic..find another download site, this link has virus...i didnt check AVG yet to find out what one...who cares...it found it just as laptop was about to do restart after installing Oceanic, I hate that! These f****rs should be shot in front of their families..(thanks Mr Clarkson)

Martin

 

[Brink]

Hello Trumpetrousers, and welcome to Seven Forums.

It's a false positive. Oceanis is a direct download from our site (Seven Forums), and is 100% completely safe and clean.

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Re Oceanic..find another download site, this link has virus...i didnt check AVG yet to find out what one...who cares...it found it just as laptop was about to do restart after installing Oceanic, I hate that! These f****rs should be shot in front of their families..(thanks Mr Clarkson)

Martin

Hiyya Martin and welcome mate if you want to be really safe just download some family album shots you like - I have my grandson Nick as mine - no malware there mateLOL!!

Huhuhuh - language mate there are cyber chicks in here:huh:

 

[trumpetrousers]

oops sorry I was getting Mad!

Hiya guys,
Sorry I was getting a bit steamed up round the gills...Oceanic? my spelling indeed.. doh! and it all makes me look like a twerp.
It was my Ma's new laptop, I had been setting it all up and when I tried the wall paper...She wanted Degas' dancing girls(!) - nothing - after repeatedly pressing, 'make this wallpaper' still in the menus, this was when i was slightly frustrated, I had no idea it was tight old Microsoft...And so on...The thought that I had stuck a virus on my Ma's new laptop before she had pressed a key.
So I joined up to have a moan.
But it looks good here,
So if I didn't make too much of a nuisance I'll stay.
Martin

 

[Brink]

No problem Martin.

 

[JonathanV]

Windows 7 Starter edition comes with one desktop background, which can't be changed or customized.

From windows.microsoft.com

Before I join Windows Seven Forums, I read all about Microsoft Windows 7 articles in Microsoft website. I found one that Windows 7 Starter has only one desktop background and no way to change it.

In Windows Seven Forums, I found this perfect tutorial for Windows 7 Starter to change desktop background by using 3rd party software. But Microsoft wouldn't recommend it.

Microsoft would recommend upgrading from Windows 7 Starter to at least Windows 7 Home Premium using Windows Anytime Upgrade or clean install.

You can use Windows Anytime Upgrade to upgrade to another edition of Windows 7 that will allow you to change your desktop background (and get more features and functionality).

Will installing update for Windows 7 Starter from Microsoft restores to original desktop background?

 

[Brink]

If you upgrade from Starter to another edition, then yes.

 

[jonax1985]

thank you so much.. it worked.. ..

 

[ICIT2LOL]

Hiya guys,
Sorry I was getting a bit steamed up round the gills...Oceanic? my spelling indeed.. doh! and it all makes me look like a twerp.
It was my Ma's new laptop, I had been setting it all up and when I tried the wall paper...She wanted Degas' dancing girls(!) - nothing - after repeatedly pressing, 'make this wallpaper' still in the menus, this was when i was slightly frustrated, I had no idea it was tight old Microsoft...And so on...The thought that I had stuck a virus on my Ma's new laptop before she had pressed a key.
So I joined up to have a moan.
But it looks good here,
So if I didn't make too much of a nuisance I'll stay.
Martin

Hiyya Martin we all get wound up sometimes so no probs at least you were man enough to stand up and be counted.

Mate all you have to do is Google those dancing girls find some pics save to My Pictures or snip them and save to say desktop (wherever) and then just in the Control Panel > Personalisation > Desktop Wallpaper > it will ask you to browse > pick the site where you saved the picture/s and hit on the one you want - done!

Try here http://www.google.com.au/search?q=d...AWBjoD4BQ&sqi=2&ved=0CCMQsAQ&biw=1920&bih=911

Oops meant to say hit the show more for even more

 

[kewlkatycat]

Hi, thanks for sharing, its just that I find it a problem that I have to open the program everytime. Is there a way you can fix this?

Thanks, GG

Oh, You don't need to keep the program running to keep the background! When you click "Save Changes" it automatically closes by itself! I must of been mistaken by "If the Oceanis program is closed, then the desktop background goes with it. You will need to leave the Oceanis program running to keep the background." meaning I must keep the program as an open window.
Anyway, this has been the BIGGEST help! I don't feel like I have a stupid computer now

Thank you so much for the help with the background wallpaper, but however, the Personalization Panel won't let mechange the colour of the window frame and taskbar. Is there a way to do that for Windows Starter?